168 On the Ornithology of Cape San Antonio, Buenos Ayres. 
Ostrich passed me, number one having run it for a league 
and pumped his horse. So I put on a spurt, and pressed it 
for another league; but that exasperating bird legged along 
in a leisurely manner, looking like a boy with his hands in the 
pockets of his grey knickerbockers, and rather increasing the 
distance between us than otherwise. Then number three saw 
us coming, and got to horse in order to join the fun; unfor- 
tunately it took a minute or two to bit his half-broken horse, 
and he lost the chance of turning the bird back to me. 
Number three was pulling up on it though, when one of 
those nice mud creeks intervened ; the Rhea passed it in 
two strides, but his pursuer prudently concluded he had no 
particular interest in ascertaining if the mud was twenty feet 
deep, or only ten. The only sure method of procedure is to 
head the bird off, and turn it back upon one of the other 
pursuers, who turns it again, and so on, till ultimately it 
gets so confused and stupid, that a chance occurs of “ bolear- 
ing” it. The weapon used in this chase, the ‘ bolas del aves- 
truz,” consists of two lead or brass balls, attached to the ex- 
tremities of a thong of hide six feet long. These are whirled 
and thrown, and, if the aim has been true, twist inextricably 
round the bird’s legs. 
Young Rheas are easily tamed, but are rather objectionable 
about a house, as they will swallow any thing that is “ neither 
too hot nor too heavy.” 
On the frontier line the Rhea gives notice of the Indians 
being on their way in from the desert, as the Christians see 
flocks of birds running in all along the horizon, and know 
well how to interpret the sign. A body of two thousand 
Indians is enough to disturb the Rheas; besides they hunt 
them as they come sweeping in. 
61. Nornura macutosa, Temm. “ Perdiz comun,” or 
Common Partridge. 
Mr. Hudson, I find, has forestalled all my notes on this 
species in his paper on Patagonian birds (P. Z.S. 16th April, 
1872); so I will do little more than allude to its nesting- 
habits. 
